Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

Maria Vershel has applied for a permit to lower the crest elevation of a dune on lots 21 and 22 in Sandpiper Village, in Sussex County.

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Economic Analysis for Shoreline Management

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has released a study that investigates the economic benefits of beach nourishment and begins to explore a more equitable policy to share the cost of these projects with the people who benefit from them. [button type=”primary” block=”true” link=”https://documents.dnrec.delaware.gov/Watershed/Shorelines/economic-analysis/Full-Report.pdf”

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CoastSnap DE

Visitors to two of Delaware’s most popular beaches can help collect valuable data needed to monitor Delaware’s changing coastline. And all they need is their smartphone. CoastSnap DE is part of a global community science project that places simple camera mounts at beaches. Visitors are invited to take

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

Andrew Karron has applied for a permit to bring in sand to level a lot and replace eroded sand in South Bethany.

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Division of Watershed Stewardship

The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship manages and protects the state’s soil, water and coastlines. It uses a comprehensive array of watershed-based programs to ensure proper stewardship of Delaware’s natural resources. Watershed Assessment and Management

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

Maureen Makarechi has applied for a permit for construction seaward of the DNREC Building Line to bring in sand to fill eroded and low spots on a lot in South Bethany.

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

A&A Landscaping, Hardscape and More LLC has applied for a permit for construction seaward of the DNREC Building Line to bring in sand to level a lot in South Bethany.

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Hundreds of Coastal Guardians Unite to Strengthen Dunes Along Delaware Beaches

Every March for more than three decades, hundreds of volunteers have gathered at beaches along the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean to plant Cape American beach grass.

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

The Sea Colony Recreational Association has applied for a permit to mechanically scrape sand from the beach to rebuild the dunes on Sea Colony.

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American Oystercatchers

American oystercatchers are black and white shorebirds with bright orange beaks that feed and nest on the beach. The Beach-Nesting Bird Program monitors the population and productivity of American oystercatchers in Delaware. An American oystercatcher incubating a nest. (Photo: Henrietta Bellman) These birds begin arriving in Delaware in March, start

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Least Terns

Least terns are the smallest species of tern in North America, with an orange-yellow beak and mask-like black markings on the head. The Beach-Nesting Bird Program monitors the population and productivity of least terns in Delaware. A male and female least tern conducting a courtship ritual. The male presents the female with

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Beach-Nesting Birds

Dwindling shorebird populations have landed several species on Delaware’s Endangered Species List. The DNREC Beach-Nesting Bird Program monitors the endangered breeding shorebirds, provides habitat protection, and provides information to the public about beach-nesting species. The Beach-Nesting Bird Program primarily focuses on three species — Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers and Least

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Delaware Inland Bay and Delaware Bay Coast Coastal Storm Risk Management Study

The Coastal Storm Risk Management Study of the Delaware Inland Bays and Delaware Bay Coast (known as the Back Bay Study) will explore potential storm risk management problems and flood risk reduction solutions. It will recommend risk reduction solutions that increase community resilience to coastal storms. Statement from

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Coastal Construction Permits

The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship manages permits and approvals under the regulatory programs that govern coastal construction in Delaware. ePermitting Application Instructions

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Questions and Answers

A collection of common questions, and answers, about the coastal construction regulatory program. The Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section has a series of maps that show the location of the Building Line.

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Adopt-a-Beach

DNREC’s Adopt-A-Beach program is a partnership between the Department and Delaware volunteers, working in tandem to protect and enhance Delaware’s beaches. Going beyond just picking up litter, DNREC’s

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Beach Grass Planting

Volunteers are the backbone of Delaware’s shoreline stabilization. Every spring since 1990, except when pandemic conditions prevented it, dedicated volunteers have stabilized Delaware’s sand dunes by planting more than 5 million stems of Cape American beach grass along ocean and bay beaches. The 2025 Annual Beach Grass Planting

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You Can Help Protect Beaches and Dunes

There are several ways property owners and visitors can preserve and protect beaches and dunes. Plant Beach Grass Planting ‘Cape’ American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata)

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Beaches and Shorelines

The DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section works to maintain and improve Delaware’s beaches, shorelines and waterways. The section manages the shoreline through regulation of coastal

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Coastal Construction

Coastal development adds stress to beach systems, especially to dunes. Dunes and beaches are the first lines of protection from wave action for coastal communities during coastal storms. Dunes also act as storage areas that supply sand to the beach during storms.

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Delaware Beach Building Line Maps

The Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches (7 DE Admin. Code 5102) establishes a “building line” along the coast and stipulate that no construction may take place seaward of that without a Coastal Construction Permit or Coastal Construction Letter of Approval from the Department. The building line is mapped by the Department

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Beaches are a Natural Resource

The sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay shorelines are valuable natural resources to the State of Delaware. The beaches were created by nature and continue to be shaped by wind and waves. The 1972 Beach Preservation Act (7 Del.C. Chapter 68) provides the authority to DNREC to enhance, preserve, and protect the

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the DNREC Building Line

Mrs. Catharine C. Dorrier has applied for a permit for construction seaward of the DNREC Building Line to build an elevator room within the existing porch on Lot 1112 and 910, Block 122, Bethany Beach.

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Design a Sign, Protect a Dune

You’ve helped us design signs that will help beach-goers remember to stay off the dunes.Thank You! Delaware’s Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay Coastal Dunes are vital in our defense against coastal storms. Dunes are also important natural habitats for plants and animals. If dunes are going to be strong

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Application for a Permit for Construction Seaward of the Building Line

Anne Fauret and William Gallagheran have applied for a permit for construction seaward of the DNREC Building Line to construct a single family dwelling with a 17.2′ cantilevered deck on Lot 2, Block 7, in South Bethany.

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